


THE LOVERS

by PKA



Series: Major Arcana [1]
Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Werewolf, Blood and Gore, Hannibal stays human, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Season/Series 01, Supernatural Elements, Unresolved Sexual Tension, Werewolves
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-07
Updated: 2017-05-07
Packaged: 2018-10-29 04:20:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,574
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10846353
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PKA/pseuds/PKA
Summary: After a confusing session with Will, Hannibal drives to Wolf Trap in the middle of the night. Not only does he find a wreckage on the way, but also a feral beast in need of help.





	THE LOVERS

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Obolivios_DragonLord](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Obolivios_DragonLord/gifts).



> szayel1313 on tumblr / Obolivios_DragonLord on AO3 was one of the winners of my 200 follower giveaway and their prompt was this:  
>  _"Early in the friendship of Hannibal and Will, Hannibal decides to drive to Wolf Trap to check on Will after a confusing session. But as he's driving over to see him, he comes across a wreckage revealing a large brown werewolf feeding on what’s left of the driver. Should he take the animal home, or leave it to die with a badly broken leg? My only request in this is that Hannibal stays a human.”_  
>  I hope you like it—although there may be surprises along the way. ; )

  


The smooth sound of a Bentley's engine cut through the silence. The headlights illuminating the road were hardly needed—a full moon shone in the the night sky, covering trees and grass already wrapped in the snow's white cloak with a mysterious glow.

Inside the Bentley, sealed off from the cold fresh air of a winter's night, sat Hannibal Lecter.

Hannibal Lecter, on his way to Wolf Trap, Virginia, did not spend his time worrying.

When he sensed that something was wrong, he acted accordingly and without pondering first. Something had felt very wrong about therapy with Will today. It was not just the encephalitis taking its toll—Hannibal had become adjusted to its progress, to Will's slow descent into madness. Watching him, guiding him through his turmoil and the darkness of his mind was an enjoyable experience.

But today had been different. Today had nothing to do with that. There had been a new element, something beside the usual nervousness, something, which Hannibal had not yet figured out and which continued to scratch at the part of his brain that had become singularly occupied with Will.

So he was driving out to Will's house in the middle of the night. To check in.

It was a peaceful, albeit long trip. The roads were free of other cars and Hannibal felt almost alone in the world. He had room to focus on other matters and made use of the time by traversing places in his Memory Palace. Some of them, far beyond the light-flooded foyer reminiscent of the Norman Chapel in Palermo, were covered by a layer of dust and time. The adagio sostenuto of Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 14 that played in one of those rooms accompanied him on his journey; the mysterious, dark tones of the sonata a perfect soundtrack of the night.

And then he saw the wreckage.

Driving past crossed his mind. Drunk kids, most likely; only themselves to blame for their deaths. Getting to Will was more important. But something induced him to step off the gas. He imagined a dark shadow moving, the glint of ferocious eyes penetrating the darkness.

When the car came to a halt, he realized that both these imaginings were real.

The headlights left nothing to doubt or interpretation. A beast, canine in nature, yet bigger than any dog or wolf Hannibal had ever seen, had dragged the corpse of the driver from the wreckage and was feasting on the remains at the side of the road. It was an unnatural sight; like a wolf but not so, squatter and more brutish, with thick muscles and short legs.

And it knew that Hannibal was there. It continued plucking at the corpse—ripping off clothes with overstuffed, ivory teeth and spitting them out; biting off large, bloody chunks of meat and eating them whole; all the while staring through the windshield, right at Hannibal. There was an eerie, almost human intelligence in its red eyes, and an inkling of curiosity that seemed to reflect Hannibal’s own.

Hannibal was not unsettled despite the profoundly hideous view. He didn’t have to measure his pulse to know that his heart rate was normal. The Moonlight Sonata continued to play, suiting the savage scene surprisingly well.

It continued playing as he exited the car. The sky overhead was almost black and clear of clouds. The farther he had come from Baltimore and its light pollution, the more stars had come out to share their radiance with the moon.

It was, all around, a beautiful night.

The wolf-thing growled when Hannibal stepped closer, a demonic sound from low in its throat, but backed away from its meal—a young man, maybe in his early twenties—toward the woods in crouching movements. Hannibal could not quite discern if the boy had been drunk beneath the permeating smell of blood. A quick glance towards the broken car. It was empty; he had been driving alone.

Back to the canine beast, then. Hannibal took a step back and it came closer again carefully, fangs bared and dripping saliva and blood. It continued its meal without taking its eyes off Hannibal, large and strangely square head facing him.

Hannibal was reminded of his own predatory gaze and felt as if he faced his equal, a being designed to rip and render and annihilate. It was repulsive and beautiful at the same time.

They continued to stare at each other for a while, Beethoven soon drowned out by snarling and gnawing and chewing. Hannibal noticed a patch of blood on the creature's coarse brown fur near its right hind leg which it was favoring even while feeding.

He could picture what had happened, then. The beast had been passing the street at an unfortunate time; had been hit by the car and the man in the vehicle had, startled by the animal, crashed into a tree. Decoyed by the scent of blood, the creature had found in the driver an easy meal.

Despite its huge stature and large, pointed teeth however, it didn't seem aggressive toward Hannibal. It was obvious that, were it to choose to attack, even injured, it would win the fight against the unarmed Hannibal easily with claws and fangs and sheer brute strength.

From somewhere in the woods, a deep howl broke loose, black as pitch and almost desperate. The thing lifted its heavy head, ears alerted, meal momentarily forgotten, but flinched in pain when it tried to move in the direction of the sound.

It was helpless, Hannibal realized. It couldn't move far due to its broken leg. Even if it had a meal at the moment it would eventually starve, unable to make it back to its pack. The cruelty of nature.

It was getting late. Hannibal went back to the car, placed his hand on the cool, smooth handle and stopped. Considered. His thoughts returned to Will. It was obvious what he would do. Hannibal wondered how he would react if he brought the beast to him. Grateful, perhaps, for another opportunity to care for a stray. He would feel understood in his desires. Connected.

The trunk was big enough to hold the corpse of a large man. The wolf-thing, from the looks of it a little less than four feet tall, would fit in there, although the thought of blood and fur in his car, and the smell of the beast, even if the trunk was covered by sheets, disgusted Hannibal.

Presumably the creature wouldn't cooperate anyway.

He approached again. This time, the animal didn't back off. It stopped eating and lifted its head again, snarling, muzzle thick with blood. Hannibal knelt, looked at it for a moment and extended his hand toward it. The beast stretched out its short snout and sniffed, its long teeth only millimeters away from skin.

»I have a friend who can help you,« Hannibal said, trying to sound soothing, and felt stupid talking to an animal. The creature looked up, straight into Hannibal's eyes again, and for a moment he could have sworn it nodded.

Slowly, Hannibal stood up and went back to the car. He opened the rear door, leaned against it and tapped on the inside of the trunk.

The beast got up with a jump and limped over in its weird, crouching gait. It looked into the car and tried to get up, but struggled. Hannibal watched it a moment before he tried to help, hands sliding into thick and bristly fur to heave up the animal as best as he could.

Red eyes looked back at him from the inside of the trunk. The creature put its head on its front legs and let out a whimper, not unlike a domesticated dog.

Hannibal looked at it impassively. »I don't like this either,« he said before he let down the lid.

He took out his phone and searched his contacts for Will’s number. While it rang, he let his eyes wander over the wreckage, enjoying the cool night air. Everything was quiet once again. No more teeth grinding on bones, no more growling; just the mundane dialling of the phone. For a moment, the world reverted and everything was normal again.

The phone continued ringing. Will was probably fast asleep in his living room bed, tormented by his usual nightmares. Hannibal imagined how he would look without the usual bags under his eyes, refreshed and peacefully asleep. A shame he would never get to see him like that.

Still the phone rang. Perhaps Will was out in the woods himself, mind on fire. Dangerous, Hannibal thought, with animals like this roaming about.

He had his thumb on the cancel button when finally Will answered.

»Yes, Doctor Lecter?«

He had been asleep. Hannibal couldn't help but smile at the throatiness of his voice.

»Hello Will,« he said. The gentleness in his voice came easily, as it always did where Will was concerned. »My sincerest apologies for disturbing you so late at night. I hope I didn't wake you.«

»You did.« Hannibal heard Will sit up in the bed and stifle a yawn. »Something the matter?«

»Yes, actually.« Hannibal got in the car and switched on the ignition. »I found an injured dog at the side of the road and thought you may be able to help it.«

Suddenly, Will sounded wide awake. »Where are you?«

Hannibal's smile widened. He pressed on the gas. »On my way to Wolf Trap.«

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you [fragile-teacup](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Mrs_Gene_Hunt/pseuds/fragile-teacup/), for the thoughtful beta-ing. I'm so grateful to have you!
> 
> Come visit me on my [ tumblr ](http://www.pka42.tumblr.com/)!
> 
> Like what I'm doing? Consider [buying me a coffee](https://ko-fi.com/A842K38/)!


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